Hold public hearings throughout the state in school districts located on reservations and in urban areas to seek recommendations to address the dropout rate and at-risk factors.

a.

Hearing at Fort Belknap Reservation (September 2003)

b.

Hearing in Helena (December 2003)

c.

Hearing on second reservation (May 2004)

3.

Develop fiscal impact statement for those schools from which students drop out. (March

2004)

a.

Will require assistance from Legislative Fiscal Division.

4.

Collaborate with OPI's American Indian Education Office and Montana Advisory Council on Indian Education that are currently working through a U.S. Department of Education Dropout Prevention Program with six Montana public school districts located on Indian reservations and that will be coordinating a plan for dropout prevention. (September 2003 - July 2004)

5.

Collaborate on this study with Montana's Interagency Coordinating Council, which has dropout prevention as one of its major goals. (September 2003 - July 2004)

6.

Report on the progress of the study at the Montana-Wyoming Indian Education Association annual conference in Missoula. (April 1-4, 2004)

7.

Produce a comprehensive, research-based, strategic plan to break the cycle of at-risk factors and significantly reduce the dropout rate, while increasing the graduation rate among Montana's American Indian students. Work with OPI to develop the plan. (March 2004 - July 2004)

Staff will develop a statewide profile of the dropout problem in Montana, concentrating on American Indian students. Staff will also produce a report on the at-risk factors that can be used to predict which students are most likely to drop out of school before receiving a diploma and a report on educational programs that are successful in keeping students in school. Staff will work with OPI in developing a statewide strategic plan that will include suggestions for school districts on how to reduce the dropout rate and increase the graduation rate for American Indian students.